Blog > Should Your Senior Still Be Behind the Wheel?

Should Your Senior Still Be Behind the Wheel?

It’s never easy to ask whether your elderly family member should be giving up driving or not. Figuring out where your senior’s driving abilities are can help you to see what to do next.

Home Health Care in Greeley CO: Senior Driving

Talk about Her Driving Habits

You can learn a lot about what’s going on by talking to your senior about her driving habits. You might be more subtle about it than outright asking, though. Instead, you might talk about specific routes, especially ones that your senior has always taken. You might realize that your elderly family member has changed her driving habits far more than you realize.

Go for a Drive Along

If she is still driving, go for a drive with your senior. Don’t mention that you’re gauging her ability to drive or that you’re debating what to do next. Simply be a passenger. The trip can be a short one around the block to get ice cream or you can do something else. The point is for you to be able to observe your senior’s driving from an objective standpoint.

Check out How Well She Can Use Her Car

While you’re in the car with your senior, one of the biggest things you want to watch for is how well she’s able to use her car. Is she able to see over the dashboard? Does the radio or air conditioning system cause her to get flummoxed? How about turn signals? When you’re paying close attention you can start to notice things that might indicate she’s having trouble.

Discuss the Options

Sit down and talk with your senior. By now you probably have a good bit of information about what is working for her and what isn’t. You can start to discuss what can happen next for her. The best solution might be that she drives only occasionally, if at all and that you find alternative transportation for her. One such option might be having elderly care providers driving for your senior. If they’re already there helping her, that’s an easy solution.

Talk to Her Doctor

Talking to your senior’s doctor may be something else to consider. There are plenty of people who want to hear recommendations about things like giving up driving only from someone who is an expert. Hearing from her doctor that it’s time for her to give up driving can be what she ultimately needs.

This is never easy for you or for your senior. Driving is a big topic and you and your elderly family member may have to iron things out more than once.